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taxes and visa renewal
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pjm



Joined: 04 Mar 2005
Posts: 17

PostPosted: Thu Dec 08, 2005 4:56 am    Post subject: taxes and visa renewal Reply with quote

Does the immigration department check whether you paid your Japan taxes last year while they are deciding whether or not to renew your work visa? Do they refuse to renew if you haven`t paid your taxes?
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canuck



Joined: 11 May 2003
Posts: 1921
Location: Japan

PostPosted: Thu Dec 08, 2005 5:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

They are seperate, but they should. Pay your taxes!
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Brooks



Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1369
Location: Sagamihara

PostPosted: Thu Dec 08, 2005 6:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

for a spouse visa, yes.
I had to supply information on the taxes I paid last year.
My wife went to the city hall to get the documents in order for me to get a new spouse visa.
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BradS



Joined: 05 Sep 2004
Posts: 173
Location: Tokyo, Japan

PostPosted: Fri Dec 09, 2005 12:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here's a related question:

I've been here for almost 2 years and havn't paid tax. Noone's asked me too. I got a smallish yellowy box-something in the mail that my Japanese friend said I would need but that's all.

Do they send the forms to my house? Is there a tx day in Japan that everyone has to go to the office for? When I moved to Kasakabe, the city office gave me maps and all that but NO information on important information like taxes or anything legal.

Is there a deadline?
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Brooks



Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1369
Location: Sagamihara

PostPosted: Fri Dec 09, 2005 1:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

do you work part-time or full-time?
With a full-time job, the tax will be deducted from your salary.
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BradS



Joined: 05 Sep 2004
Posts: 173
Location: Tokyo, Japan

PostPosted: Fri Dec 09, 2005 2:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Full time. Ah, okay. That makes sense then. Just afraid that all the important stuff was sent to me in kanji which I normally throw away as it looks the same as the junk mail we get. Wink
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PAULH



Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan

PostPosted: Fri Dec 09, 2005 2:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

BradS wrote:
Full time. Ah, okay. That makes sense then. Just afraid that all the important stuff was sent to me in kanji which I normally throw away as it looks the same as the junk mail we get. Wink


Brad, you are in Japan, learn Japanese. Its the language they use here.

If you can not read you mail (or work out which is junk or not) you may be throwing away forms that will get you a tax refund or your phone bill or power bill. You are just throwing away money or they may cut off your phone. The tax office and your employer send you things for a reason.
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Brooks



Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1369
Location: Sagamihara

PostPosted: Sat Dec 10, 2005 12:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

well Brad, I didn`t pay tax my first two years because of the tax treaty with the US.
Maybe you are in the same boat.
But after 2 years, taxes must be paid. National taxes start first, and you start paying the local taxes after two and a half years or so.

It would make sense for you to get something in the mail stating that you will have to start paying local taxes. It is probably just a reminder.
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pjm



Joined: 04 Mar 2005
Posts: 17

PostPosted: Sat Dec 10, 2005 1:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I was working for an American Language School franchise and the owner did not hold back any taxes from my pay. My assumption is that this ALS branch wasn`t submitting the proper paper work for its employees to the government. It doesn`t matter to me now that I have escaped that employment situation. The issue for me is the largish tax bill I now have for the entire year`s income with American Language School. Instead of paying monthly, as is the legal responsibility of your employer, I now have to pay a full year of taxes.
I intend to pay the taxes. Second question; does the tax office allow a person to pay a largish tax bill on a monthly basis, or does one have to pay it all in one shot?
I have no issues with the ALS - American Language School owner. He`s just trying to make a buck/ yen wherever he can. More power to him. Except I end up with a very inconvenient situation on my hands.
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Glenski



Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

PostPosted: Sat Dec 10, 2005 1:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
I didn`t pay tax my first two years because of the tax treaty with the US.
Maybe you are in the same boat.

Don't know what you mean by tax treaty. I have paid Japanese taxes ever since I arrived in 1998. To be honest, I actually got a tax refund each year for the first 3 years, instead of having to pay, but it amounts to the same thing, namely that I filed here (through my employer).

The only tax treaty I know of is not really a treaty, but a stipulation about paying American taxes. That is, you are required to file, but you are exempt from paying US taxes on money earned overseas up to about $80,000 (depended on the year).
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homersimpson



Joined: 14 Feb 2003
Posts: 569
Location: Kagoshima

PostPosted: Sat Dec 10, 2005 1:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

As usual, Glenski is correct. The OP may be concerned about the residence tax. Regarding the National Tax, that is a gray area, considering most employees have a "bogus" contract and visa, which indicates "contact" hours with "working" hours. It's a nice loophole that aides both employers and employees. In other words, your employer applies for your services for 20-30 hours of "work" even though you must be present at your employment location for 40. It's a wonderful "oversight" the Japanese government has long accepted.
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pjm



Joined: 04 Mar 2005
Posts: 17

PostPosted: Sun Dec 11, 2005 4:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

So does anyone know if I can renew my visa if I haven`t paid all the taxes I owe when I am trying to renew?
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BradS



Joined: 05 Sep 2004
Posts: 173
Location: Tokyo, Japan

PostPosted: Mon Dec 12, 2005 2:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

PAULH wrote:
BradS wrote:
Full time. Ah, okay. That makes sense then. Just afraid that all the important stuff was sent to me in kanji which I normally throw away as it looks the same as the junk mail we get. Wink


Brad, you are in Japan, learn Japanese. Its the language they use here.

If you can not read you mail (or work out which is junk or not) you may be throwing away forms that will get you a tax refund or your phone bill or power bill. You are just throwing away money or they may cut off your phone. The tax office and your employer send you things for a reason.


That was a bit harsh. I am actually learning Japanese, but come on, you can't actually learn Kanji in under a year. I know several Japanese people who can't read the newspaper after 12 years of schooling AND a university degree.

Also in my defense, it IS a bit ignorant of the government not to offer papers in other languages. Hell, a stamp with one word; "TAX" on the envelope would go a long way. Don't get me started on the recent national census. Who here actually recieved a copy let alone filled it in? Rolling Eyes
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Gordon



Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 5309
Location: Japan

PostPosted: Mon Dec 12, 2005 2:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, living in Japan is difficult and there are few resources in other languages. About the census, most gaijin I know got help filling it in or did it themselves. A friend helped us and took about 5 minutes. I don't know anyone who threw it away.
I don't chuck anything away until I know what it is, just because it is in another language is no excuse. It sometimes is about a rebate of some sort.
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bluefrog



Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Posts: 87
Location: Osaka

PostPosted: Thu Dec 15, 2005 3:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Renewing your visa won't be a problem but don't shrug off the taxes because the government is clamping down on debtors. Apparently a new law has been passed that makes tax seizures easier for the government offices which collect them. Maybe this will help with Japan's debt problem...
A Japanese coworker and I came across a sight that detailed the law but it was in Japanese. If I find one in English I'll post it. Here's a thread on this site with some good links:
http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/job/viewtopic.php?t=26783&highlight=

Also, I think the government/Employers do a horrible job of informing foreigners of the tax. The tax collectors send a bill with tax lingo in another language and expect non-native speakers to understand it. My Japanese coworker couldn't even understand some of the terms and grammar used in the notices. Hel(, I even have trouble understanding English tax forms back home!!
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